John lovenguth



*NITED STATES PATENT FFIOE.

JOHN LOVENGUTH, or ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR To HIMSELF No FERDINAND E. HOFFMAN, OF SAME PLACE.

mmol/amsm- N comets-ED LETTER-.Boxes Ausweis-Berre.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 169,558, dated November 2, 1875; 4application .filed September 13, 1875.

To all whom it may concern Beit known that L JOHN LOVENGUTH, of St. Louis, Missouri, have invented an Improved Gombination `Door-Plate andLetter- Garriers Bell, ofwhich the'followin g is a specication:

This invention is specially designed -to be applied in connection with the doors of dwellings, stores, ofces, 85e., though generally in its application valso suited for mail-boxes and to similar devices, the object being to signal Vthe call of the inail-carrier.

My invention, as here presented, shows the same applied in connectionwith the ordinary visitors bell, and which can be either on` the door or located, as ordinary, in the rooms of the house, or have its own separate bell, as may be desired.

My invention can be stated to consist in the peculiar construction of its operating parts, and the manner of operating said parts by the mail-carrier or other person, so as to produce a signal or call, by means whereof the user of my invention is enabled to accurately know and determine whether the call be that of the mail-carrier, in contradistinction from the signaling of the visitors bell, and as now will more fully appear.

Of the drawing, Figure 1 is a rear elevation Of a door, showin g my invention applied thereto, and as being connected with the visitors bell. Fig. 2 shows a sectional elevation of Fig. l, representing in dotted lines the name-plate as having been lifted to signal the bell, Fig. 3 being a detail plan of casting, with its journal and angle-lever.

A is the door. This is properly mortised to receive my improved parts, which are as follows: As shown in the drawing, my improvements are connected to the ordinary nameplat'e on doors of dwellings, although a knob,

handle, or other suitable device, can be substituted. Hence, B (see dotted lines of the figures) represents such a name-plate. Forming part of the plate B, I provide a spiralshaped stem, b, (see Fig. 2,) and alongside of this is a fixed stem, b1, (see Figs. 1 and 2,) and running the length of the stem b. B is a casting, consisting of a face-plate tted to close the mortiseof the door in front, being also slotted to allow the stem biot' name-plate `to pass `through it, and at b2, Fig. 1, having a further ready for insertion in the mortise of the door.

When fixed in the door a fastening-plate, C, having a-n elongated slot, c, Fig. 2, for the play of the stem b4, is attached to close the rear of the mortise.

The parts thus constructed, and arranged in the door, by lifting the door-plate its spiral stem causes said plate to be th'rown out or away from the door in the act of opening the letter-port, and same is completely open when said door-plate assumes a perpendicular posi-- tion, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2. On the return movement the spiral stem causes the doorplate to be thrown in or nearerto the door in the act of closing the letter-port, and in order to restore said door-plate to its original position. (See Figs. 1 and 2.) This movement on part of the door-plate is for a threefold purpose: First, to signal n. bell on the up movenient of the door-plate; secondly, to again signal the bell on the down movement of' the doorplate; thirdly, to permit the door-plate to pass clear ot' paneling or ornamental facings which may be on the door. Hence, to accomplish the rst purpose stated, 'it will be noted that the door-plate, in being lifted, performs a partcircular motion, which its stem b1 is following up, and, as this travels in the curved slot b2, it comes in contact with the outer end of the curved arm b5, and in passing over its first curvature depresses said arm, and in so doing raises the projecting stem b4. The Stem b1, having passed between -the curvatures presented by the arm b5, and to the position indicated in Fig. l, permits the arms b5 b4 (composing the angle-lever) to assume their origlthe play of said bar.

' inal position, and said parts remain in these f rst position the angle-lever (parts b4 b5) is restored to proper position for a repetition of the 'same operation. lowering the doorplate the stem b4 is caused to be raised in order to signal a bell, with which it is connected by the further parts, as follows: Properly connected to the end of the projecting stem b4 is a connecting-bar, D, (see Figs. 1 vand 2,) having a slot, d, to allow for The upper end of the bar D is bent or fitted to connect with the stern of the bell E, and which in the drawings is shown attached to the inside door-facing. It is this connecting-bar D that in both up and 'down movements ofthe door-plate causes the -striker to signal the bell E. As this signal takes place twice, once ongthe upstroke ot' the -door-plate and again on the downstroke of same, it is obvious that the signaling thus produced is indicative of the call or operator.

Instead of using` the visitors bell E, suitable .wire and bell-crank connections from the stem Thus in both lifting or b4 can be made to a bell situated in any part of a dwelling, this feature being indicated in Fig. 1.

l. The spiral stem b of the door-plate, in combination with the correspondingly mortised plate B', whereby, when the ldoor-plate is raised to open the letter-port, it is carried away from the door, to permit it to pass projecting facings or panelings, as set forth.

2. The spiral stein b of the door-plate, stem b1, and plate bs, in combination with the mortised and slotted plate B and crank-lever b4, whereby when the letter-port isv opened the stem b is caused to describe the are of a circle, Y

during which movement it operates upon one arm of the crank-lever, and depresses it for the purpose of sounding the bell, as set forth.

3. The combination of a door-plate with a bell, by means of the spiral stem b, fixed stem b1, casting B', having ajournaled stem, b4, and arm b5, said parts being constructed to operate in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony of said invention I have hereunto set my hand.

Y JOHN LOVENGUTH.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM W. HERTHEL, GHAs. F. MEIsNER. 

